Hey, hey you! (inspired by the tennis team’s cheer) How’re you today? Oh boy has it been busy. We have been celebrating the teenager’s 14th birthday since last weekend. Our crew drove up to the city to her Bella and Big Pop’s to oink out at a luau.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I use the Foodie app sometimes and whenever I take food photos in the city, I get that frame. Slideshow Pics:

And I made these beach-themed cupcakes, courtesy of Betty Crocker on Pinterest; my cupcakes are from scratch of course, not from a box.

Tuesday was her birthday and when she officially turned 14 at 2:19 am. The team had a match on their home turf so the day before, I made cupcakes and a double batch of buttercream frosting for them to celebrate Cupcake’s birthday after practice. Can I tell you how these coaches and teen-aged girls are so sweet and awesome? They sang her happy birthday, nice and loud, and then gave her a big, group hug.

My cupcakes were well received, BTW. Coach B wolfed his down quick-style! And all the girls told my kid how good they were when they were putting their gear away in the coach’s classroom. Made my day.

I had tried to pipe out two-toned swirls but they didn’t look right. Mom, do you remember how I did it for your birthday one year? So I just used my 1M tip to make regular swirls. See my neat, cupcake holder? It can hold up to two dozen cupcakes in two levels or compressed down for just 12. I got it off of Prime. I was tired of worrying about my cupcakes traveling up to the city.

I usually use Guittard Chocolate Company Dutch Cocoa but Target had none on its shelf. So I ran to Safeway and thought I could find Ghiradelli (nope) but only found Hershey’s Dark Chocolate. Martha Stewart’s One Bowl Chocolate Cupcakes recipe calls for unsweetened cocoa powder but I ignore this and use the intense ones. So I had to cross my fingers and thankfully got outstanding results! My husband ate one cupcake later that evening and was in heaven. Now I’m going to be buying Dark Chocolate cocoa powder because the flavor is amplified.

Then on Tuesday during team introductions when my daughter was announced and had met her opponent, they started shaking hands with the coaches and our team said, “Happy birthday!” The opposite team started singing the song and everyone joined in! I was so happy for her. And guess what? She won her match also, 8-1.

So there’s a match today and tomorrow! Friday’s match is an away game and had been moved up from later in the month. That’s how busy we are right now along with juggling where will the youngest be/stay and how to make dinner.

Okay; off to work on a knitting, progress post that’ll publish tomorrow. Thank you for stopping by today. TTYS.

I am obviously way behind on blog posts right now 🙂 However, I am reading them in order! Those aloha cupcakes are so adorable. I would love to come eat with your family some day. All of your meals look so very delicious 😀 Happy belated to your cupcake!